Claws and Fangs
by themisfitwitch
Summary: Tyler Anderson never wanted to live in Beacon Hills. She didn't want to leave her parents in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. But She couldn't stay with them; they weren't safe if she was around. She didn't expect to find that same danger lurking in Beacon Hills. And she definitely didn't expect to find love.
1. New Beginnings

Tyler looked up at Beacon Hills High School, blowing a stray brown hair out of her face. She glanced over her shoulder at her Aunt Ellen, who gave a thumbs up before driving off.

Beacon Hills, California was not where Tyler Anderson wanted to be. In fact, she'd much rather have been back with her parents in North Carolina. But everything had changed, and so they had sent her here.

She sighed, shifting her backpack before walking up to the building. It was going to take some getting used to, but Beacon Hills would have to become her home. At least, if she wanted to live.

* * *

Switching schools is never easy, but it's made much more difficult when it happens part of the way through someone's senior year. Tyler looked around the cafeteria. No one so much as looked up at her. The girl's stomach twisted into a knot; the anxiety of not knowing anyone was getting to her. She hadn't had many friends in Cape Hatteras High School, but she had known quite a few of her classmates in passing.

Thankfully, Tyler spotted an empty table, which she hurried to grab for herself. Aunt Ellen had packed her a lunch today: peanut butter and banana sandwich, carrots and hummus, a slimjim, and water. She smiled and quietly munched on her food.

Tyler's skin prickled. She glanced around the cafeteria and watched as a nearby table full of boys quickly turned away, trying not to be seen staring. But she'd caught them and bored holes in their heads until one turned back around.

He had short brown hair and big, golden brown eyes full of curiosity. Tyler raised her eyebrows at him and he gave her a smile and a quick wave before turning back to his friends. She watched them speak for another minute before turning back to her lunch and pulling out her schedule.

As she looked it over, a scent tickled her nose. Her face twisted and she covered her face with the long sleeve of her sweater. Something smelled...off. She glanced around, and sure enough, the table of boys was staring at her again. Tyler frowned, staring back at them angrily.

This time they did not look away. One of them, the boy with tan skin and a crooked jaw line, stared at her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. It made Tyler uncomfortable and angry. She turned her eyes away and continued to eat, ignoring their prying eyes. The smell was still there, and she was quickly losing her appetite.

Their eyes finally shifted from her as two girls joined their table, and Tyler leapt from her chair and slipped quietly out of the cafeteria.

* * *

"So, what was it?" Stiles asked, glancing from Scott to Isaac. Scott shook his head, watching the new girl leave the cafeteria as fast as she could without actually sprinting.

"I don't know. I smelled something different, but I don't know what it was." Scott looked around the table. "But it was definitely coming from her."

"So, what do we do?" Allison asked as she leaned over the table. The boys had filled her and Lydia in when they'd finally joined them.

"None of us have any more classes with her," Stiles mentioned. "She was in the office this morning when I was there. She's a senior." They'd seen her earlier this morning when Scott and Stiles had a free period.

"Well then someone should follow her after school," suggested Allison, looking from one friend to another. "And someone else should find Derek."

"You think this has something to do with werewolves?" Scott asked.

"Dude," Stiles said, looking at his best friend and rolling his eyes, "In the past year and a half, literally _everything_ we do has had something to do with werewolves. What kind of friggin question is that?"


	2. An Extension of Friendship

School had ended over two hours before, but Tyler sat on the steps of the school with her backpack full of homework that needed to be done. She'd called her aunt twenty minutes ago; she said she wouldn't be home for a while. Tyler sighed and stood, slinging the heavy bag over her shoulder. She'd just have to walk.

Tyler pulled up a map on her phone and typed in her Aunt's address. It was two and a half miles away through the woods. She sighed and began her trek.

As she walked, a crisp wind blew, and she caught the scent again. Tyler wrinkled her nose and looked around. The Lacrosse team was practicing nearby. She winced as she heard the shriek of a whistle, but walked closer. Maybe she could watch for a bit. Maybe by the time practice was over, Aunt Ellen would be there.

There was the scent again. Tyler whipped around, her eyes scanning the field. One of the players had stopped in the middle of the field to stare at her, only to be barreled over by a teammate. The coach blew his whistle again.

"McCall! What do you think you're doing daydreaming?"

The boy on the ground sat up. "Sorry coach."

The coach rubbed his forehead, muttering under his breath. "Okay, okay, you know what? Water break. McCall! Keep your head out of your ass, okay?"

Tyler walked over to the bleachers, dropping her backpack with an audible _thud_. She looked up and saw the boy who had smiled at her in the cafeteria making his way over.

"Hiya!" he said, sitting beside her. "You're the new girl."

Tyler shrugged, looking up at him. He ran a hand through his hair, which was damp with sweat. "I'm Stiles."

"That's nice." Tyler didn't want to talk. She wanted to figure out where that smell was coming from, and why her head was screaming at her to run.

Stiles stared for a moment before clearing his throat. "You know, it's customary to give your name to someone after they've given you theirs."

"Tyler."

"Well Tyler, what are you still doing hanging around the school?"

"Waiting for my aunt to get me. She dropped me off this morning and I don't want to walk all the way home."

"Well, if you don't mind waiting another half hour, I could give you a ride."

Tyler's eyes widened for a second. She hadn't expected anyone to talk to her today, much less offer her a ride. She weighed her options.

In Cape Hatteras, she'd always had a tough time making friends, let alone keeping them. No one ever approached her; they knew the stories about her family. She heard them whispered through the halls, saw people glance away to avoid eye contact.

But no one knew about her in Beacon Hills. Tyler smiled to herself. Here she could have a brand new start. Before she could respond, the shriek of the whistle tore through the field.

"Stilinski!" the coach screamed, his face turning red. "Do you need a special invitation?"

"Just a sec, coach!" Stiles yelled back, turning to face Tyler. "Here, just wait over by those girls. That's Scott's girlfriend, Allison with the brown hair, and the other one is Queen Lydia."

"Oh, that's-" Tyler started, but the boy was already sprinting back onto the field. She sighed and looked around. Two girls were sitting nearby, and the dark-haired on—Allison—waved. Tyler walked up the bleachers and sat down beside the girl warily.

"Hey," Allison said with a smile. Tyler returned it tentatively. She inwardly cursed herself for acting so shy. She had no reason to me.

"I'm Tyler."

Allison nodded. "I know. I was in the office when you got to school."

"For what?"

She shrugged, "I was late for school. My car wasn't working and Lydia has first period free, so she came and got me."

The redhead beside, who had been fixing her makeup while casually listening to the conversation, turned to give them her full attention. Her green eyes flicked over to her friend. "That's what happens when you forget to put gas in your car." She looked Tyler up and down, and Tyler felt the girl judging her choice of clothing: her favourite pair of sweatpants and a tight, long-sleeved shirt. "Where are you from?"

It was an innocent enough question, but there was something about the way Lydia was looking at her, as if she was half in a trance, that made her uncomfortable.

"Uhm, I lived in North Carolina. Most of my family lives there."

"So then why did you leave?"

A twinge of annoyance flared inside Tyler. She didn't like this girl prying, but she tried to hide it. "Stuff happened, and my parents and I thought I would be better off living with my aunt."

"Hm." Was the only response Lydia gave before turning away again, pulling out her phone. Tyler was glad for the silence.

* * *

Practice finished not long after, and Tyler practically leapt from her seat, glad for an excuse to be away from the girls and the uncomfortable silence that had followed their short conversation. She chastised herself for being so paranoid. They were just two girls trying to make a stranger feel welcome.

As she stood in the parking lot, Tyler's ears twitched at the sound of a vehicle approaching. A jeep pulled up in front of her with Stiles smiling in the driver's seat. Tyler froze. Beside her sat his friend Scott McCall, and the smell from earlier filled her nostrils again.

"Tyler?" Stiles prodded, "You still need a ride?"

"I, uh," she tried to form coherent sentences, but she couldn't concentrate. _It's Scott. It's Scott. Something's wrong about Scott._ "Actually I think I'll just walk. You guys smell. I didn't realize I'd be sharing the back with your sweaty lacrosse crap."

"Hey! We showered." Stiles said, feigning hurt. "But seriously, it's getting late, and we really don't mind giving you a ride."

"I don't-" but she was cut off by someone honking. Tyler looked over and saw her Aunt Ellen sitting in her car, waving. "My ride is here, but thanks anyway!"

Before they could respond, the girl darted to her aunt's car. She whipped the door open, jumped in, and Scott and Stiles watched the car peel away. Stiles looked at his best friend, who was still staring after the slightly beat up Accord that just pulled away.

"Anything?" He asked.

Scott frowned and looked up at Stiles. "There's definitely something, but I don't know what.


	3. Settling In

Tyler sat on her bed, staring intently at her laptop. Books, notes, and papers were scattered all around her, and her golden brown eyes flicked from the screen to the notebook before her. She groaned and pushed it away, scribbling another equation down. Tyler hated math.

She looked around, surveying her new bedroom. Before she'd moved in two days before, it had been her aunt's study-slash-guestroom. The room wasn't large, but it wasn't cramped either. The large windows let in the moonlight, and the lamp on the table beside her gave off a warm glow that reflected off the wood-paneled walls. Across from the iron-framed bed were a wardrobe and a desk piled high with her aunt's books. The clothes she'd brought had barely filled half the drawers, and the small closet was practically barren. Tyler glanced up at it with a frown. She'd need to go shopping soon.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. Before she could say anything, Aunt Ellen stepped into the room, holding a large mug.

"You've been up here since you got home! How much homework did you have?"

Tyler shrugged, smiling. "Enough to drive me nuts, but I'm almost finished."

"Well, I've brought you some mint and jasmine tea to help you relax." She handed it to her niece, who smiled thankfully, while looking around the room. She frowned and picked up the stack of her books that were still on the desk. "This weekend we're going to need to get you some new clothes. You can't go around wearing sweatpants all the time!"

Tyler's smile widened as she took a sip of the tea. It was as if her aunt had read her mind. "Probably. Most of what I brought is athletic wear. But I did remember to pack a lot of underwear."

Aunt Ellen rolled her eyes, shifting the book in her arms. "You are so your mum's daughter." She said, and Tyler giggled as her Welsh accent slipped through. When her mother and her aunt were little, Tyler's grandparents had divorced. While her mother and grandmother had stayed in their home in Calabria, her grandfather and Ellen had moved to South Wales. It was all very confusing.

"Oh, and don't forget your other studies."

Tyler groaned and fell back onto her pillow. "Can't we start after I'm more settled in?"

"If you do some work tomorrow, then I'll take you shopping right after school on Friday." Aunt Ellen pushed a lock of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "Oh, and don't forget to water the plants in the window box."

"Ok." With that, Ellen, spun and walked quickly out of the room, closing the door behind her. Tyler sat up and, with a sigh, went back to her homework.

* * *

Scott stood in the clearing, waiting patiently. The moon hung low in the sky, full and bright. Scott could make out every detail on the ground, and could hear the small animals rustling in the bushes. And he could hear Stiles groaning.

"Do we have to sit here all night?" he whined, walking from behind a tree. He looked at his best friend. On the nights of the full moon, his face changed. His brow was more defined and his teeth grew larger and sharper. He truly looked wolf like when he shifted, especially his eyes, glowing yellow in the darkness.

"We just have to wait for-"

"We're here."

Scott and Stiles turned to see Derek Hale and Isaac Lahey walking up, their faces similarly wolf like. Derek's eyes glowed red.

"I told him what you said at lunch, and in the locker room." Isaac said.

"Alright," Derek said, taking charge. "So you think there's something strange about the new girl in your school?"

Scott nodded. "I caught a scent in the lunchroom today," his voice was low and serious. "But I didn't recognize it. It didn't smell like a wolf, but it didn't smell human either."

"Not like a Kanima?"

Scott shook his head. "Then Stiles offered her a ride home, but when she got to the car, she looked really freaked and ran off. But I could smell her. I know it's her."

"Do you know where she lives?" Derek asked. No one spoke. He sighed, "Well find out. And don't do anything stupid." He turned to leave and stopped, cocking his head. He stood for a minute, listening. "Something's coming."

Before anyone could react, she was there, staring. Her green eyes glowed as they flicked from one person to another. Whiskers extended from her cheeks, and her mouth was twisted into a snarl around sharp fangs. Dark markings circled her eyes and ran down the sides of her nose. She wore the same outfit she'd had on at school, but her hair fell over her shoulders, and her ears seemed to be higher up on her head.

"Tyler?" One ear turned toward the sound. It was definitely higher up on her head than it should have been, like a cat's ear. Tan fur covered it.

Tyler made no indication that she recognized her name. She sank down to all fours, her fingernails extending into claws. She crept around the four boys in a wide circle.

Derek stepped forward, letting a growl of warning slip from his mouth. Tyler hissed and snarled in response, her ears pressing flat against her head. She slunk into the shadows.

"She's still here." Derek growled. Scott and Isaac stepped forward as well, their eyes searching the darkness.

"Don't hurt her." Scott warned Derek.

Stiles crept backwards, trying to stay out of the way. He shouldn't have come. He knew it; but he somehow always seemed to get himself in the middle of is best friend's werewolf affairs. A twig snapped behind him and he spun around. Scott leapt in front of him, growling into the darkness. But he did not see Tyler.

Instead, the green eyes of a mountain lion stared back at him, and with a final screech and the flick of her tail, she disappeared into the trees.

* * *

Tyler's head throbbed. Sunlight streamed through her window and birds chirped happily in the cool morning air. The girl groaned and pulled her blanket over her head, feeling her sheet rub against her bare skin. Startled, she opened her eyes and peered down at herself. She hadn't remembered taking off her clothes before she went to sleep. And that meant…

"Shit." She mumbled, jumping out of bed. That was a mistake. Tyler stumbled, falling to her knees with a groan. Her mouth felt full of sand and her head was swimming. Bracing herself against the desk, she slowly stood up, looking at herself in the mirror.

"_Shit_." She whispered, touching her cheek. Scrapes covered her face and neck, and a line of dried blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Her body felt like lead. Tyler turned and glanced at the calendar hanging from her wall and stifled yet another groan. Last night was the full moon, and she hadn't even realized.

"This must be what a really bad hangover feels like." She mumbled as she pulled on an oversized t-shirt. She glanced in the mirror again and saw to her relief that the scrapes had completely healed. "Christ, if that was how they looked in the morning," she shuddered. She didn't remember last night, but Tyler assumed wasn't a walk in the park.

"Are you up?" Her aunt called through the door. Tyler grunted in response, reaching for the handle and yanking the door open. Ellen was in a long nightgown holding a cup of tea. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." She glanced at the dried blood on her niece's face, but did not comment. "Go get ready for school."

Tyler smiled and shuffled to the bathroom, grateful for the hot water that would wash away the nightmares that had somehow become her reality.


	4. Confrontations

For the most part, the next few days passed without incident. Tyler had allowed her aunt to drag her from one store to another, picking out clothes and throwing them into the cart. In one afternoon, Tyler went from having almost no clothing to having a closet full near to bursting. She had to hand it to her aunt; the woman knew how to shop.

"Oh, that looks darling!" Ellen shouted as her niece stepped into the kitchen before school. Tyler had pulled on the oversized cable knit sweater in Oatmeal and medium brown corduroys that her aunt had almost sprinted out of the store with in her excitement to show her niece. Tyler smiled and tucked a lock of brown hair that had fallen from her bun behind her ear.

Ellen had also picked up several books for Tyler. "I want you to read these within the next two weeks, and I want notes on all of them." Tyler had groaned at that. She didn't exactly need more schoolwork. But she took the books and kept them on her desk, reading them when she got the chance.

That was what she was doing now, sitting in the cafeteria. She'd finished her lunch, and hadn't wanted to relocate. By the time she'd have found a quiet spot to read, it would be time to go to her next class. Tyler was halfway finished with the second book, but she couldn't concentrate. Not with the whispers she was hearing through the buzz of the cafeteria. The voices cut through the noise as if those they belonged to were sitting right next to her in a quiet room.

"Should we talk to her about it?" That was Isaac.

"Not yet. We still don't really know anything about her. We don't even know if she really doesn't remember what happened. And it's not like she didn't want to attack us; you could see it in her eyes. She just knew she was outnumbered. I bet if it was just one of us there, she would've ripped us apart."

"Scott, are you serious?" That was Stiles. "Just give her the benefit of the doubt. It's not like when Derek's nutjob Uncle bit you, you remembered what you did at first. You woke up in the middle of the woods in your underwear. Just go and talk to her."

Tyler nearly laughed out loud, but quickly transitioned into a yawn. She figured they were probably talking about her, but she couldn't be entirely certain. It was true that she didn't remember anything about the night before, but that was normal to her by now. Every month on the night of the full moon, she would have no memory; she didn't even remember going to bed. But these boys sounded like they knew what was happening all the time. Maybe she would work up the courage to ask one of them about it. Tyler smiled to herself and turned the page, scanning the chart that was set into the text.

"Stiles, what are you doing?" She heard Scott mutter. Before she had time to process, the chair opposite her jerked as it was scraped across the floor, and Stiles sank into the seat. The girl, surprised, snapped the book closed and stuffed it under the table. She didn't want anyone to see what she was reading, least of all this boy who seemed to know her secret.

"Can I help you?" she said, raising an eyebrow. She just wanted to be left alone, but Stiles smiled at her, staring into her eyes. He didn't seem like he'd be leaving.

"Oh, well, you know, just wanted to see how the new girl was settling in." Tyler sat in stunned silence. That wasn't the type of question she was expecting. "A lot of people don't really adjust that quickly to moving to a new town." Stiles leaned closer and Tyler felt her muscles tense. She felt her ears prick back, but the boy didn't seem to notice. "Have you had any trouble sleeping?"

She felt a prick of irritation. "You came to ask me about my sleeping habits?"

Stiles shrugged, "Hey, it's like I said. Some people have a hard time adjusting to a new town, a new school, things like that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Tyler felt herself relax a bit. She knew that wasn't why he'd come over, but after everything she'd been through it was nice that someone at least pretended to care.

"I sleep just fine. And the people here ignore me for the most part, which is refreshing. In Cape Hatteras, I felt like a bug under a magnifying glass with everyone always staring at me."

"Why would they do that?" Tyler could hear genuine curiosity in his voice, and she felt herself tense again. This wasn't something she wanted to talk about with anyone. Ever.

"None of your god damn business." Tyler snapped. Before she could apologize or Stiles could respond, she smelled Scott approaching. She looked up at him and scowled, but there wasn't anything particularly friendly about his expression. He pulled out the seat beside Stiles and stared at Tyler.

"Call your guard dog off me, dude," Tyler hissed. "What I do isn't anyone's business but mine."

That was the wrong thing to say. Scott locked eyes with her. Clearly, something about her comment had unnerved him. "So you do remember."

"Remember what?" she retorted. "There's nothing to remember."

"We saw you the other night. You were in the woods, and you almost attacked one of us."

Tyler felt her heart stop. She'd tried to attack one of them? She felt her anger and fear bubbling up and dug her fingers into the table. Her eyes flashed green and she felt her claws extend, leaving crescent moon-shaped divots in the table.

"You listen to me, and you listen good, asshole." She said, venom dripping from her voice. They seemed shocked by just how quickly her demeanor had changed. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I want you to leave me alone. Don't talk to me, don't even look at me, unless you want me to rip out your throat." With that, Tyler shot up from her seat, stuffed her book in her bag, and strutted out of the cafeteria as fast as she could.

Once she'd entered the hallway, her anger gave way to the fear and panic. Tyler ran to the nearest empty classroom and disappeared inside, leaning against the wall and panting.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit, _shit_!" she nearly screamed into the dark room. Her chest constricted and she sank to the floor, her head in her hands. They knew. They knew her secret, and she didn't know how they were going to use it against her. Tyler felt her throat tighten and she started to hyperventilate, letting panicked sobs rack her body.

-LINE—

Scott and Stiles watched Tyler storm out of the cafeteria and sat in stunned silence until Isaac joined them. He stared at the door for a moment before looking at his friends.

"I don't think that's how you wanted that to go."

Stiles turned and looked at Scott. "Dude, why'd you do that?"

"I didn't think she'd freak out like that!" he said. "But look," he ran a finger over the holes Tyler had left in the table. "Now we know it was definitely her."

"Yeah, but I don't think she remembers what happened."

"Scott," Isaac said, tapping his long fingers on the table, "you certainly have a knack for pissing off the ladies."

Scott sighed loudly, running a hand through his hair. "If she doesn't remember, then we should try to help her. We could help her learn to control herself during the full moon."

"Is it the same for Werecats though?" Stiles asked, looking from Scott to Isaac. "I mean, obviously she changes on the night of the full moon, but we don't know the first thing about cat people. There's limited knowledge on Lycanthropy, but I haven't seen anything on cat people!"

"We're going to find out." Scott muttered.

-LINE—

Tyler was running.

Trees and shadows and patches of light all blurred together as she rocketed through the trees. She felt her muscles expand and contract, felt her heart furiously pumping blood through her sleek, feline body, felt her tail twitching behind her.

Were she not so anxious and angry, Tyler would have enjoyed these feelings. But right now, she just needed to run until her legs gave out beneath her. Needed to get away.

These boys had figured out her secret fairly quickly, and if they dug even just a little bit, they would figure out what had driven her from her home. Well, they'd know part of the story. Tyler tried not to let these thoughts get to her. Right now, she needed to calm down, to get some piece of mind, and she knew exactly where she had to go. Tyler felt her claws extend and rip into the ground as she quickly changed direction, shooting through the trees.

When she reached her destination, she stopped and took a deep breath. Tyler closed her eyes and felt her fur and tail receding into her body. She clenched her sharp teeth as she felt her bones pop and shift. Her glowing green eyes scanned the forest as she stood erect. Several small animals that had caught the scent of a predator scurried through the brush, but nothing that she considered a threat seemed to be anywhere nearby. Tyler smiled to herself as her teeth shrank back to a human size, and her eyes faded to a golden brown.

Before her was the lake she'd discovered while exploring the woods that surrounded her aunt's house. It was totally secluded—there were no buildings within a mile, no people to disturb her. This was perfect.

Tyler glanced down at her naked body and frowned. Whenever she completely shifted, she tore her clothes to shreds. Eventually, she would need to find a way around that, but today she was too stressed. Her mind had been racing from the second she sprinted out of the school after lunch. She had run all the way back to the house and curled up in her bed, shaking until night fell. Then she had just run.

Now she needed to relax, and the water before her looked inviting. With a smile, the girl ran up to her bare knees into the lake before diving below the surface. Moonlight filtered through the water and left bright patches in the sandy lake bottom. Tyler grinned and bubbles floated to the surface; the water was so much more clear than back at home. It was beautiful.

Tyler's head broke the surface and she took a deep, calming breath. This was exactly what she needed; time to herself. Time alone. Her arms stretched before her and the girl once again dove below the surface, her long brown hair floating around her.

Nearly an hour later, the girl walked up the sandy lakeside, shaking drops of water from her hair. She giggled to herself as she turned back to the water, admiring the scenery. Tyler inhaled, taking in the scent of the forest.

The girl froze as the scent of a predator filled her nose. Her heart raced and she cursed herself for not being more observant. Tyler spun around, searching the trees. It was too late to run now; he could hear whatever it was hunting her as it crashed brazenly through the trees.

Tyler felt her teeth and whiskers grow and her ears shift and point like a cat's. Her eyes glowed green in the darkness, facing where she knew the predator would come storming through. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

A few breaths later, Scott McCall shot through the trees and into the clearing.


End file.
